Sauter leads hopefuls who make California (cont'd)

The early-season success for Marlin does come with a price. Because Marlin doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the first five races, his team has focused almost entirely on those races, and Marlin admitted that he won't be fully prepared for the first Car of Tomorrow race at Bristol.

"We didn't get to test as much as we needed to; we are going to be really behind on the Car of Tomorrow," Marlin said. "We hadn't [tested] it anywhere, and really don't have any cars done."

Paul Menard qualified for his first race of the year with a lap of 183.323 mph on Friday, good enough for 22nd on the grid. Menard missed the Daytona 500 after fading in the closing laps of his 150-mile qualifying race. The miss was especially frustrating because he had a car that drafted well, but as a rookie, he found himself with little help.

Menard, a mild-mannered 26-year-old Midwesterner, was uncharacteristically angry after failing to qualify. At Fontana, where handling is paramount, Menard only had to worry about one lap, not 60.

"Daytona is one of those deals where it is out of your control," Menard said. "If you're fast, it stays, and if it is slow you go home.

"It is that simple. No other hidden secrets. We were loose and it was a little bit loose the first lap. Just got one into the books. I pushed it to where I thought it was a safe, solid lap. The second lap, I didn't have anything to lose."

Menard knows he has a long way to go before he can stop worrying about qualifying every week. He tries to block it from his mind.

"I haven't looked at the points," Menard said. "I will start looking around Atlanta."